Some time had passed as Cherry and Cathleen met back up with Ruby.
"All right, well, I guess I'm gonna try to find out more about Cartoon Network somehow after some dinner and maybe dessert too." Cherry said to Ruby and Cathleen before she walked off.
"Come on, Cath; I'll take you to meet Dorothy." Ruby invited.
"Okay," Cathleen nodded. "Have fun on your date, Cherry." she then told her friend.
"...It's not a date..." Cherry muttered as she walked off.
"Whatever you say." Cathleen shrugged innocently.
The two then split up as Cherry walked off, taking a deep breath on the way over.
"So, you and Dorothy, huh?" Cathleen asked Ruby.
"Ever since we met in the Enchanted Forest," Ruby nodded. "I saved her life."
"From the Wicked Witch?" Cathleen guessed.
"Yes, I had to track Dorothy down in the Underworld and save her with Mulan's help," Ruby nodded. "I kissed her awake with the Munchkins watching, I felt like Prince Charming with Snow White and the Dwarves back then."
"All these fairy tales... My life was simple before we ended up here and I had a regular job." Cathleen shook her head.
"Believe me, a lot of new people get like that," Ruby smirked. "You'll get used to it though."
"So where does Dorothy live?" Cathleen asked.
"We have our own place up ahead," Ruby replied. "It's small for now, but it's home."
"Sounds nice." Cathleen said on the way.
"Yeah, it can be," Ruby smiled. "I wanna have a puppy or two someday."
"Puppy...?" Cathleen asked.
"You know... Raise a child..." Ruby beamed. "I think I'd be a pretty great mom."
"I've always wondered what it would be like to raise a child." Cathleen commented.
"You think you might wanna have a family too someday?" Ruby asked on the way back to her house.
"Y-Yeah, with my boyfriend, Rex and he told me that he wants to become a werewolf like me, but he needs to understand the consequences though," Cathleen said softly. "I don't know what to do."
"What do you mean?" Ruby asked. "I don't see the problem... Dorothy's not a werewolf and we get along just fine. My last boyfriend... Well... That's another story for another day... But what seems to be the problem?"
"Well, Rex is an EVO which means he has nanites in him causing turning his body into weapons," Cathleen explained. "I'm worried that if I do bite him what could happen? Will my wolf blood and nanites will do major harm in him?"
"Well... I wouldn't know about anything like that," Ruby shrugged. "I didn't bite Dorothy or my last boyfriend, but we're still happy, but me and Dorothy especially. I think she's my soulmate."
Cathleen shrugged with a small pout.
"I'm sure you'll know what to do eventually," Ruby said as she went to the door and unlocked it. "Like with saving the people from Cartoon Network so they can go home. Storybrooke was crowded enough already before they started showing up... Dorothy? I'm home!" she then called out.
"Oh, good, Granny said you decided to take the rest of the afternoon off," A young woman around Ruby's age with long black hair in a blue dress with silver shoes smiled. "I also heard from Belle that we're going to be looking after little Aurelia tonight."
"Yeah, and this is one of my new friends and our guest for the evening: Cathleen Ross." Ruby introduced.
"Ah... One of the Toon Saviors..." Dorothy said.
"Does everybody know about that?" Cathleen asked.
"News travels fast in Storybrooke, almost everybody knows each other," Dorothy smiled. "Hello there, Cathleen. It's nice to meet you. When Belle comes by with Aurelia, we'll work out some dinner plans."
"Sounds good to me." Cathleen smiled back.
Ruby and Dorothy soon shared a kiss with each other and smiled at Cathleen.
"Nice place you got here." Cathleen said as she looked around.
"Yeah... I just had to get away from Granny," Ruby sighed and rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "I love her very much, but I swear, sometimes that woman is just impossible. Especially when I was a little girl, she was always so protective of me and still even treated me like a little kid after I graduated from high school."
"I know the feeling," Cathleen nodded. "My dad is the same way."
"Aunt Em was very protective of me too," Dorothy said softly. "Uncle Henry was too and he gave me Toto since I didn't have any friends back on the farm when we lived in Kansas before I was sent to Oz."
"This Aurelia kid better not be a brat, though I doubt it if Cherry's her mother." Cathleen said.
"No, she's very shy and quiet most of the time, but she loves us," Ruby smiled. "We've looked after her ever since she was a baby."
"And she's very adorable and sweet." Dorothy added.
"Yes, she is, and you will love her." Ruby reassured.
"Guess I'll find out." Cathleen shrugged.
"So you found out more about Cartoon Network's history?" Ruby asked.
"Yeah, apparently there was an alien invasion in the Spring of 2007," Cathleen said. "They wanted Kraft cheese?"
"Yeah, because cheese was helped used to defeat The Broccoloids when The Powerpuff Girls faced them," Ruby nodded. "I may not have gone to college, but I'm a lot smarter than I look."
"Wish that I could find out more about it," Cathleen shrugged. "Maybe later on."
"Do you have the book?" Ruby asked.
"Cherry took it after we saw Dylan on the playground," Cathleen explained. "I guess she's gonna ask Gold for more help."
"Makes sense," Ruby nodded. "He knew everything going on back in The Enchanted Forest... He used to be Rumplestiltskin after all and was The Dark One."
"Until Belle helped him redeem himself of course." Dorothy nodded in agreement.
The girls got settled until the doorbell rang.
"Ruby." Belle smiled as she came at the door, holding the young girl's hand.
"Come on in, Belle," Ruby smiled before looking down at Aurelia. "Hi there, cutie pie! Ready to hang out with your favorite Aunt Ruby and Aunt Dorothy?"
Aurelia smiled back as she walked inside, dragging her doll behind her.
"If I'm not back by 7:00, you should probably keep her overnight since her bedtime's 8:30," Belle said to Ruby. "I'm not sure how this dinner will go... Is that okay?"
"That's fine, Belle," Ruby smiled. "We love having her over."
"And don't worry, we will help keep an eye on her." Dorothy added.
"I know you will," Belle smiled before she hugged Aurelia. "See you soon, dear... Be a good girl."
Aurelia smiled back, hugging her. "Bye, Aunty Belle..." she said softly.
Belle smiled, kissing the girl on her forehead and she soon stepped out of the house to get back home. Aurelia soon looked at Cathleen, staring at her for a while as she hugged her doll.
"Um... Hi, there," Cathleen said to the young girl. "I'm Cathleen."
Aurelia just looked at Cathleen.
"...You don't talk much, do you?" Cathleen asked.
"She's shy," Ruby said to Cathleen. "She just has to get to know you first. Why don't you play with her?"
"Okay..." Cathleen shrugged as she sat down with Aurelia. "That's a nice doll... What's her name?"
"M-Milah..." Aurelia said softly as she hugged the doll. "I've had her forever."
"I remember when I was little I had a stuffed panda named Mr. Fuzzy," Cathleen sighed with a nostalgic smile. "My dad gave it to me on my 2nd birthday."
Aurelia had a small smile.
"What does Milah like to do?" Cathleen asked.
"Watch Lambchop, Blue's Clues, and Big Comfy Couch on TV..." Aurelia said as she looked down at the floor. "Sometimes we color together before dinner. She really loves stories that Papa and Aunt Belle read to us."
"That's good," Cathleen smiled. "I think you and me will get along just fine."
Aurelia smiled back at her and walked over and sat on the couch, hugging her doll.
"Sweet girl," Cathleen said. "So, is there gonna be steak for dinner?"
"If you would like, just remember to eat other things too, not just steak," Ruby said. "It's not healthy."
"I'm a meatarian." Cathleen said.
"Yes, I like a lot of meat too, but you should eat other foods and maybe not eat it raw," Ruby advised. "That's not what I have to do anyway and I just love Dorothy's farm-fresh cooking. You'll see, Cathleen, you don't have to eat bloody meat all the time. I mean, I don't and Granny doesn't."
"Huh, I never knew that," Cathleen shrugged. "I guess I was just raised wrong."
"You make it sound like you have to live in the old monster movies like when Dr. Whale came from The Land Without Color as Dr. Frankenstein," Ruby rolled her eyes. "Can't believe I dated that idiot."
Aurelia soon laid down on the floor and colored in her coloring book with her doll beside her.
"Luckily we're better cooks than Tony." Ruby giggled to Dorothy as they went to cook dinner.
'Those girls have got a point,' Cathleen thought to herself. 'Maybe I should try to live my life a little differently for a change.'
Ruby and Dorothy began to get dinner ready while Aurelia colored.
"So, do you know who Cherry is?" Cathleen asked curiously.
"Maybe... I dunno..." Aurelia shrugged as she colored in her book. "Papa and Aunt Belle have said that name before though."
"Do you know what Cartoon Network is then?" Cathleen asked.
"Uh-uh..." Aurelia shook her head. "Henry and his friends talk 'bout it, but I dunno anything about it."
"Oh, okay then, I see." Cathleen said.
"Are you from around here?" Aurelia then asked.
"No, I'm from out of town." Cathleen said.
"I lived here all my life like Henry," Aurelia smiled as she kept coloring. "I wish I could live in the books that Aunty Belle reads me at storytime."
Cathleen smiled politely before she went to see Ruby and Dorothy in the kitchen.
"She must like you," Dorothy said. "She's usually shy around new people... That's why she barely talks in public."
"I like her too," Cathleen replied. "She's a cute kid."
"I just hope no more dark curses or spells happen while she's still young," Ruby frowned. "It might scare her."
"Are there any villains to look out for around here?" Cathleen asked.
"Well, right now, it's quiet, so we haven't had to need to stop any villains, even the villains from Cartoon Network are barely doing anything, but I just hope it's nothing from The Enchanted Forest," Dorothy said. "Like Zelena, who you might know as The Wicked Witch of the West."
"Or any of the former villains turning evil again like Mr. Gold becoming Rumplestiltskin or Regina turning back into the Evil Queen," Ruby added. "That could bad for everyone."
"I just have to wonder who would do this?" Cathleen pondered out loud. "Hmm..."
"Don't tell Cherry, but I think Gold's behind it." Ruby said.
"Yeah?" Cathleen asked.
"He's a very dark man and scares everybody," Ruby said. "Especially when he comes by to collect rent. He wouldn't hurt a woman or a little kid, but he can be pretty brutal when he wants to be."
"Oh, don't worry; I won't say anything." Cathleen promised.
"Yeah, she gets mad about that sort of thing..." Ruby nodded. "I hope she's okay tonight."
"It just feels weird that she was gone for almost a whole year and I don't even remember that happening." Cathleen said.
"Yeah, the town line can erase memories, but she asked that fat magic guy to let her memories be restored in only time of a big emergency, and I guess that's helping restore Cartoon Network back to normal so they can have their lives and we can have ours." Ruby nodded as she put dinner in the oven for right now.
"I just hope that we can save Cartoon Network and stop whoever is behind all of this." Cathleen said firmly.
"I'm sure we will get around to that eventually." Ruby reassured.
"I hope that you're right," Cathleen sighed. "I feel hopeless right now."
Eventually, they all sat in the living room together as Cathleen did her best to play with Aurelia.
"Well, you guys are pretty cool to hang out with," Cathleen said to Dorothy and Ruby. "I wish I could've had friends like you in school."
"I didn't have many friends at my granny's place as a kid." Ruby smiled.
"I didn't have many friends either until I went to Oz," Dorothy added. "Until then, it was just me and Toto."
"I didn't have many friends back in school because they didn't like my weirdness." Cathleen said softly.
"Did you go to school with Cherry?" Ruby asked.
"Not until high school when I was transferred into Greendale with them," Cathleen said. "She managed to pull some strings since I had special heritage to get me into special classes."
"At least there was that," Dorothy smiled. "Sounds like your life changed a lot ever since you met this Cherry girl."
"It did and I'm glad that Cherry was there to help me," Cathleen nodded. "If it wasn't for her, I just wouldn't know what I'd do with myself."
"It's always good to have companions like that." Ruby said as she put her arm around Dorothy.
Dorothy smiled and blushed as she rested her head on Ruby's shoulder.
"I hope we have a plan by tomorrow." Cathleen said.
"Me too," Ruby nodded. "Don't get me wrong, I like Bubbles and Buttercup, but I'm sure they'd be happier if they could fight crime instead of being waitresses-in-training."
"Honestly, I can't see them being waitresses," Cathleen nodded. "I'm so used to them fighting crime."
"We all are, but they don't remember anything about Chemical X, Mojo Jojo, or anything like that," Ruby sighed. "It's like our curse where we forgot that we were fairy tale people until we got our memories back."
The phone soon rang suddenly.
"Gale-Lucas residence?" Dorothy answered before beaming. "Just a minute..." she then held out the phone to Cathleen. "Someone wants to talk to you."
"Um... Hi?" Cathleen said as she took the phone.
"Sup?" Cherry greeted on the other line. "I stepped out to get some air, I thought I'd see how you were doing around people you don't know very well."
"It's going great," Cathleen replied. "Ruby, Dorothy, and I are getting along just fine and Aurelia seems to like me too."
"That's nice," Cherry said. "Yeah, Aurelia's a bit shy. She might not be going into school for a long, long time."
"I couldn't find out anything else about this mystery though." Cathleen replied.
"I figured," Cherry said. "So that's why I'm not going to sleep tonight. I'm gonna investigate the streets a bit, maybe I'll see Ruby if she's in the mood... Then I think I might haunt Whale's nightmares."
"What did he ever do to you?" Cathleen asked.
"He knows what he did..." Cherry narrowed her eyes sharply. "Besides... It's always fun to screw with him."
"What did he do that was so bad that makes you wanna make his life a living Hell?" Cathleen asked.
"He hurt someone I deeply cared about..." Cherry said. "Long story."
"You don't think the shadows will get out of control, do you?" Cathleen asked.
"Cath, my parents here aren't anywhere to be found, so I think I'm fine," Cherry said, firmly. "A few days ago, you forgot all about your own powers, so I think I can handle my own, thank you very much."
"Well, okay, I just don't want you to get hurt, that's all," Cathleen said. "I care about you."
"I know what I'm doing..." Cherry said. "Just keep Ruby and Dorothy busy."
"All right..." Cathleen said softly on the other line.
"Don't you want dessert, dearie?!" Gold's voice called out from inside the house.
"Just a minute!" Cherry called back innocently before going back on the phone. "Anyway, Belle's gonna come by with Aurelia's pajamas, she'll have to spend the night. When I'm alone with Rumple, we'll talk about the book."
"Well, okay; I'll see you later." Cathleen then said.
"I'll see you..." Cherry said before hanging up as she stared out into Storybrooke that night with a lot on her mind. After a few moments, she sucked in some air, and soon went to join the others into dessert as she spent time with them as Cathleen was with Ruby, Dorothy, and Aurelia.
"It's almost Aurelia's bedtime, so I think she should spend the night with Ruby and Dorothy." Belle smiled as she went to get a tiny suitcase and filled it with clothes and toiletries for the young girl.
"That's a good idea, my dear," Gold smiled back before facing the youngest person in the room. "Wouldn't you agree, Cherry?"
"Yeah... She should spend the night..." Cherry said. "Oh, and Belle... Could you pick up some stuff for me at the convenient store?" she then asked, taking out a list on her phone. "I'll text it to you."
"Whatever happened to making lists on paper?" Gold rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"Welcome to the 21st century, Grandpastiltskin," Cherry smirked as she texted Belle's phone then. "Now then, these are really important that I have, so keep looking until you find them... Don't hurry back though."
"...Are you trying to get rid of me?" Belle asked suspiciously.
"No... Of course not..." Cherry said innocently as an angel halo appeared above her head. "Why would you think that?"
Belle began to glance at Cherry suspiciously.
"Go... Go... Go see Aurelia..." Cherry urged, pushing Belle out the door with the suitcase and toiletry bag. "Kiss Kiss."
Belle glanced at Cherry before going to the car as the door was shut and locked behind her.
"What's got your knickers in a twist, dearie?" Gold asked Cherry.
"All right, enough formalities... We need to talk about this Cartoon Network fiasco..." Cherry told him. "I found the book, you know everything, so... Let's talk this over with some tea and... My medicine."
"Hmm... Very well," Gold allowed. "After you."
Cherry soon brought out the book to show him.
Gold narrowed his eyes, reaching for it, but she kept it from him. "Where did you get that...?" he asked her.
"I have my sources," Cherry said, jumping out of the way as she held the book close. "What's going on, hmm? Is it Aku? HIM? Mandark? Mojo Jojo?"
"No... None of the Cartoon Network villains..." Gold told her.
"The Queens of Darkness?" Cherry asked, a bit nervous.
"I think it's time for dessert..." Gold smirked before shoving her onto the couch.
"Oof!" Cherry grunted as she landed.
"Now... You just sit there and relax... And then we'll talk..." Gold told her before he walked off into the kitchen.
"Don't make me throw this at you..." Cherry threatened as she held the book.
"You amuse me, Cherry," Gold said with a laugh. "That's what I love about you~"
"Shut up..." Cherry muttered.
"I'll forgive you not to talk to me like that..." Gold smirked as he made some dessert. "Now... How about some fudge? You love fudge."
"Whatever..." Cherry shrugged as she opened the book. "Let's see... What else is there?"
Belle soon came over to the door of Ruby and Dorothy's house as Dorothy got the door and Cathleen talked with Ruby.
"So you see, you don't need to turn into a wolf just because it's full moon, you can do that whatever you want," Ruby replied. "Does Cherry sleep in a coffin, hate garlic and sunlight, or turn into a bat all the time?"
"Well.. No..." Cathleen admitted softly.
"See?" Ruby replied. "You don't have to give in to stereotypes. Granny told me about what happened after she was bitten and it got a little dark at first, especially when she would try to protect me from others like my old friend from the Enchanted Forest, Peter... But if you want... We can probably go wolf tonight after Aurelia goes to sleep to look for anything weird in town."
"Well... I guess we could... But what about Dorothy?" Cathleen soon asked. "Will she be okay by herself?"
"She'll be fine and if she needs something, she has a special way of getting back to me," Ruby nodded. "Besides, she should stay here and look after Aurelia since it's almost time for bed."
"I guess that's a good point." Cathleen said.
"Good night!" Belle called out to the others. "I'm going now."
"Night, Belle, see ya tomorrow!" Ruby called back.
"Thank you for taking care of Aurelia for us!" Belle smiled as she got to her car.
"It's no problem!" Dorothy smiled back. "Have fun!"
"Kansas?~" Ruby called as Dorothy shut the door.
"Yes?" Dorothy smiled.
"I think I'm gonna do a little wolf run with Cathleen if that's alright with you," Ruby smiled back. "She just wants to run like she used to before her life was taken from her."
"Of course," Dorothy nodded. "You two go out and have fun, but just remember to keep it down when you come back, it's almost 8:30."
"Of course we will." Cathleen said.
"We'll be back, I promise." Ruby cooed to Dorothy.
"Not that you have anything to worry about anymore, especially since Sheriff Graham is long gone, I just want you to be happy and safe." Dorothy smiled.
"You know I will." Ruby smiled back.
"Come on, Aurelia, let's get you in the tub." Dorothy said as she came over to the young girl and scooped her up in her arms.
Ruby soon got the door and went to step outside with Cathleen. "All right," she then said as her eyes glowed into a golden color. "Let's have some fun."
"Right... Let's do it..." Cathleen agreed as her eyes glowed blood red.
The two then turned into wolves and they ran off, away from the house, and decided to have a little fun. Dorothy smiled as she helped Aurelia into the bathtub and began to clean her up.
"There's a lot more in this town than I thought there was." Cathleen said as they ran into the woods.
"Just don't cross the town line!" Ruby reminded.
"How come?" Cathleen asked.
"If you cross the town line, you'll forget about everything here and even your friend Cherry," Ruby warned. "When we were frozen in time from the first curse that Regina cast on us as The Evil Queen, we couldn't leave and didn't remember who we were before and we found out if we cross the town line now, we'll forget everything again."
Cathleen stopped and looked at her new friend with wide eyes.
"Yes, it's true." Ruby nodded.
"Can't anyone fix that?" Cathleen asked.
"No, not even Mr. Gold, but he thought of a solution once," Ruby said. "If you visit him and give him something very special of yours, he'll put a potion on it and it'll help you keep your memories, but you have to ask him."
"I can tell that he seems like the kind of guy that hates it when rules are broken." Cathleen said.
"Oh, yeah, and especially don't break his favorite teacup or spinning wheel," Ruby warned. "That would end horribly for anyone."
"How horrible?" Cathleen asked.
"You don't want to know... Trust me..." Ruby advised.
"That just makes me wanna find out." Cathleen said.
"Yeah, but you don't," Ruby said. "He might look like a lame old man, but if you get him angry or upset, he can actually be pretty scary."
"Even scarier than Cherry on a bad day?" Cathleen asked.
"He was The Dark One..." Ruby said.
"And that's bad..." Cathleen guessed.
"Yes," Ruby said. "It was first created when Nimue from The Middle Ages in times of King Arthur, Lancelot, and Merlin the Wizard, corrupted her Holy Grail magic by using her powers for evil, which is killing someone. The more Dark Ones are killed and other hosts take its place, the more powerful the Darkness becomes, and, well, it soon consumed Rumplestiltskin who was just the village coward until the darkness corrupted his heart and his life changed forever."
"Oh, my God..." Cathleen muttered.
"Also, do not break into Gold's shop after closing time because he will find you," Ruby said. "Ashley found that out the hard way."
Cathleen was about to ask.
"Ashley used to be Cinderella and she was unwed pregnant teenage mother until she found her Prince Charming and she was able to keep her baby," Ruby explained, already knowing that she would ask. "Luckily she pepper-sprayed him, but he was about to take her baby away and Emma was able to let her keep her baby and reunite with her Prince Charming... Just... Seriously... Don't mess with Mr. Gold or you will regret it. Though at least he wasn't the one who tried to get rid of me when people thought I killed my new friend Billy who was one of her mouse friends in the Enchanted Forest," she then sighed softly. "Luckily I had friends to back me up and we got the accuser out of town while we could and now he's gone forever."
"Mental note: never mess with Gold... Got it." Cathleen gulped.
"He owns the town after all..." Ruby nodded. "I still think he probably did this to the Cartoon Network people. Not to mention those kids that Mother Superior looks after, along with Dylan and Eve since they're homeless."
"Do you think maybe tomorrow I could meet them?" Cathleen asked.
"I guess you could do that on your lunch break," Ruby said. "Gold called Granny to say that you're gonna start working in the diner. I'll teach you some basics as a waitress though."
"I guess it's better than nothing," Cathleen shrugged. "Thanks, Ruby."
"It's a boring job, but someone's gotta do it," Ruby nodded. "I feel like I've been working for Granny my whole life."
"Yeah, I guess you're right on that." Cathleen replied.
"I'm not sure if there's more I can show you around here..." Ruby said as she looked around.
Cathleen looked around before looking in the distance. "Is that a mine?" she then asked.
"Ah... Yes... Now, before you get excited, you won't find treasure in there," Ruby smirked. "That's where Leroy and the other dwarves harvest pixie dust from The Enchanted Forest that gives us our magic... If there's no pixie dust, then there's no magic, then it could be disaster for us all. I don't think it would mean much for the Cartoon Network people though since they were born in their own world without magic after Regina cursed us and sent us here to destroy Snow White and Prince Charming's happiness."
"Oh... I see..." Cathleen said.
Ruby and Cathleen soon sat on a hill together and looked up at the moon.
"I do hope we can solve this mystery... Even without Mystery Inc..." Cathleen said. "It was weird to see Velma though."
"I guess you're a fan of hers?" Ruby replied. "I hope she worked on that formula properly. Ya know, it's hair tonic so that she can impress Johnny Bravo. She really likes him."
"I've been a big fan of them ever since I first heard of them." Cathleen nodded.
"I don't know much about them." Ruby said.
"You don't know much about Mystery Inc?! Where have you been?" Cathleen asked.
"In the Enchanted Forest?" Ruby shrugged like it was obvious.
"Oh... Right..." Cathleen said. "But yeah, they're pretty popular... And a lot of other mystery solvers came after them like The Chan Clan, Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels, Josie and the Pussycats, and even Snooper Dog and the Clue Crew."
"I'll take your word for it," Ruby shrugged. "Maybe I can meet them after you solve this so-called mystery."
"It's a beautiful night, isn't it?" Cathleen remarked as they looked out into the distance.
"Yes, it is." Ruby nodded.
"Nothing could ruin it." Cathleen said as she sat with Ruby.
"Let's hope not." Ruby chuckled a bit.
They then sat together for a while until they would decide to head back.
Cherry and Gold soon sat on the couch together, having a cup of hot chocolate together.
"All right, I'll tell you one thing..." Gold said to Cherry. "I'm sure you recall the What a Cartoon stars... The ones who didn't get their own shows after their pilot?"
"Yes, I'm quite familiar," Cherry replied. "The same with Nickelodeon's 'Oh, Yeah! Cartoons'."
"Well... They did this..." Gold said to her as she looked at him to listen. "I was concerned about how you'd react, especially with an adventure you had with that Lycan friend of yours, but they're part of the reason of what happened along with some new allies who helped them so that they could get the recognition that they deserved and desired."
"No way!" Cherry said with wide eyes. "...It can't be true... Could it?"
"There's someone else, but I have to look into who it is," Gold told her. "When everyone goes to sleep, that's when they decide to strike and they've been leaving notes and messages for the people here as payback, especially from their leader."
"Who's the leader?" Cherry asked.
"I don't know who the leader is, but I feel like he or she might be responsible for the disappearance of Mike Mazinsky and her friends, Lu and Og," Gold advised. "I'm sorry, dearie, but that's all I know."
Cherry sighed as she hugged herself. "I don't feel so good..." she then said.
"I'm sorry, Cherry," Gold said softly. "But do you see how important this is now?"
"Yes... Rumple... I do..." Cherry replied. "Thank you for telling me what you know.
"And I know how hard this will be for Cathleen to hear too..." Gold nodded, showing some sympathy.
"She's gonna be so heartbroken when she finds out." Cherry said softly.
"Tell her whenever you're ready," Gold said as he took Cherry's hand. "You have powerful empathy... You're a good friend."
"I don't know about that..." Cherry blushed from the hand holding.
"I do..." Gold said as he looked her in the eyes. "Now... Are you sure you have to go right now?"
Cherry looked at him and the two were silent for a few moments until a door was heard being locked and the lights were turned out, except for some candlelight.
Cathleen and Ruby were soon on the way back to the house.
"Well, I guess I better get back to the Bed & Breakfast." Cathleen said to Ruby.
"All right, I had a fun time hanging out with you." Ruby smiled.
"Me too," Cathleen smiled back. "And thanks for helping me out with my wolf problem."
"It's no trouble really," Ruby said. "I'll see you at the diner for work."
"Right... I gotta get a job..." Cathleen rolled her eyes before she went to text Cherry to ask if she was still awake or not.
"Good night, Cathleen." Ruby called.
"Good night, Ruby." Cathleen nodded on the way out, though looked concerned as there wasn't an answer back right away, but shrugged as she guessed that Cherry was already asleep now.
Cathleen then got back into the Bed & Breakfast and went to get some sleep, though flinched a bit as she saw something written on the inn's wall.
"OUR STORIES WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN - THE WaC! GANG"
"What the...?!" Cathleen gasped as she decided to try to call her friend this time. "Cherry? CHERRY?!"
Eventually...
"You called?" Cherry asked as she answered her phone.
"Where are you right now? I have to see you," Cathleen said. "You won't believe what I found."
"Can't this wait until morning?" Cherry groaned.
"Were you asleep in bed?" Cathleen asked.
"Uh... Not exactly..." Cherry grinned sheepishly. "Is it really that important?"
"There's something written on the inn!" Cathleen warned. "It's not a sign or anything, you just have to come and see for yourself!"
"Fine... I'll be right there..." Cherry said before hanging up.
Cathleen paced around the front of the inn before Cherry came by. "Thank goodness you made it," she then said. "You gotta see... This..." she then stopped and sniffed the air.
"...What?" Cherry asked.
"Why do I smell sweat, French perfume, and leather?" Cathleen asked.
"Never mind that right now," Cherry said. "What did you find?"
"Look at that writing," Cathleen pointed out to her friend. "It just came from nowhere."
"I'm not fond of graffiti..." Cherry said.
"Who could've done this?" Cathleen asked.
"Well, there seems to be a calling card..." Cherry said, pointing at the letters. "W.A.C."
"Hmm... What could that stand for?" Cathleen wondered.
Cherry stopped to think before looking away a bit.
"This is getting really weird," Cathleen said before sighing. "It also looks like we have extra work tomorrow aside from waiting tables and... Uh... Whatever work you do in a pawnshop."
"Sweeping the floor, dusting the antiques, checking inventory," Cherry shrugged. "I've done it before. Whoever, uh, WAC is, it's probably best to go to bed for now and not worry about it too much."
"Well, okay," Cathleen said softly. "Good night, Cherry."
"Night, Cath," Cherry replied before sighing to herself. "Maybe I should've told her... But she's going to be heartbroken about this."
The two girls then split up and went to get some sleep until the next day would come.
Cherry lay awake in the guest bed which was her old bed from when she lived in Storybrooke before she turned over and decided to get some sleep with a lot on her mind that night. "I'm sorry, Cath, for not telling you..." she mumbled to herself before drifting off to sleep.
Unknown to anyone though, a small figure soon crawled into the inn with a crazy look on their face. Luckily, it was mostly a good night in the new Storybrooke City, especially with its new visitors in town.
